Monthly Archives: March 2016

By Harold Bubil , Herald-Tribune Wednesday, March 23, 2016 ORLANDO — After Hurricane Ike’s storm surge virtually wiped out all the beachfront houses east and west of Galveston, Texas, in 2008, FEMA came to the rescue and bought what was left of the first and second houses along the beachfront, and for pre-Ike values. FILE…

President Obama arrived in Cuba, becoming the first United States president to visit the large Caribbean island nation since Calvin Coolidge in 1928. The historic trip comes 15 months after Obama announced the restoration of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Cuba. In the push to normalize relations with the communist-led government in Havana, U.S.…

Following the 2016 Florida Legislative Session’s failure to pass essential assignment of benefit (AOB) reforms, the insurance industry and Citizens Property Insurance Corp. are working in tandem with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) to find workable administrative measures to help combat this kickback-driven lawsuit-for-profit scheme. The sad truth is AOB abuse is organized…

By Jim Turner The News Service of Florida Published: Tuesday, March 29, 2016 at 6:36 p.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, March 29, 2016 at 6:36 p.m. TALLAHASSEE — The state has resumed its search for a new insurance commissioner after Gov. Rick Scott and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater could not reach agreement Tuesday. Atwater recommended…

State Rep. Bill Hager and Jeffrey Bragg, who ran a federal terrorism risk insurance program, have made the short list to become Florida’s next insurance commissioner. The two, and maybe others, are expected to be interviewed — before one is possibly offered the job — by Gov. Rick Scott and state Cabinet members Tuesday. Meanwhile,…

A national consumer group calls it a “bad idea,” but Florida legislators just passed a law that lets insurers sets rates in a territory as small as a single ZIP code. HB 659 passed Thursday in the Florida Senate by a 34-5 vote. After a 111-5 vote in the House, it goes to the governor.…